A 22nd-round pick form Nova Southeastern (Fla.) in ’09, Mike Fiers went on an incredible roll after shifting from the bullpen to the rotation at Double-A Huntsville in late May. In 18 starts for the Sounds and Triple-A Nashville, he went 11-2, 1.43 with 111 whiffs in 107 innings. A strong finish enabled Fiers to come from behind to win the minor league ERA title at 1.86, narrowly edging out Rays lefty Matt Moore

Jai Miller batted .276/.368/.588 with 32 homers for Triple-A Sacramento and made the Pacific Coast League's postseason all-star team. The homers were a career high for the 26-year-old, as were the 179 strikeouts (in 410 at-bats), a total that came precariously close to breaking Charleston Jimerson's five-year-old PCL record.

The Blue Jays debuted two relievers from Louisiana-Lafayette, Danny Farquhar and Chad Beck, in the ninth inning of their Sept. 13 game versus the Red Sox. Toronto acquired Beck when they traded David Eckstein to the Diamondbacks in August ’08, while they reacquired Farquhar in April by trading David Purcey to the Athletics. Toronto originally drafted Farquhar in ’08.